This was a cute rom-com. The single dad trope is one I'll always adore. This was my first Emma Lord read, but I love rom-coms, and I'm glad I gave it a shot. Thank you for this ARC!

This was overall a super fun read! I love music and dance related stories and I enjoyed the songs they wrote about each other. This was my first book from the author and I look forward to reading more of her books! A second chance trope has to be done well for me to enjoy and I felt like they picked up right where they left off - I loved how they still knew each other so well after years apart!

Due to medical reasons, I was unable to fully read this book but I throughly enjoyed what I did read, however I cannot write a proper review due to this. I apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding.

This is a second chance romance book about a pop star and a band member. I thought the author really balanced the cute, rom-com moments with serious emotional growth and self-discovery. This was my first book from this author and I am definitely going to add more to my tbr now!

So much I loved about this one, and a few things that I wasn't a fan of...

Loved:
- The romance!!! The transition from rivals to friends to more was so well executed. I also appreciated the maturity in how they communicated.
- The musician/pop-star/rival bands setting was so much fun. I loved how so much of the story took place within the music industry, and the author did a great job showing both the good and the bad sides of it.
- I loved the character growth in both Mackenzie and Sam.

Didn't love:
- The heavy language. I personally find it distasteful when an author tries to pack so many unnecessary swears into a story.
- 2 open door scenes. (I skipped chapter 19 and 24 for those who want to keep it closed door.)
- Normalizing unnatural family dynamics Sam has a son who is raised by a lesbian couple. The one woman is the birth mom who was in a relationship with Sam years before, and everyone lives together as one big happy family. It feels like a cop-out on the author's part to make Sam's ex a lesbian. (and as per usual, the lesbian couple has the most stable relationship in the book... 🙄)

All in all, a great romance! But for someone like me who prefers closed door and less heavy language, it might not be your first choice.

3.5 stars

*Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my advance copy.

Ita cute , fun, and similar to her other books. The plot was fine. I was invested in the relationships.

A heartfelt second-chance romance between two former musical rivals who reunite to create a comeback album. Full of witty banter, emotional depth, and a fresh take on love and identity.

▹My ⭐ Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
▹Format: 📱 eReader ARC
▹TL;DR Review: Fun cast of characters with witty writing. Tension-filled run-ins. Overall, a cute read with heartwarming moments.

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○★○ What to Expect from This Book: ○★○

– FMC: Mackenzie. Sassy, Grammy-winning lyricist with secrets and a complex found family. Trying to pick up the pieces after a life-changing event. Loves all thinks neon and glittery. Doesn’t love emotionally unavailable, commitment-phobic men (specifically one man).
– MMC: Sam. Single-father, punk rocker who wants a second chance—both with his career and with Mackenzie (who he calls “Sparkles”). Flawed, but working on it. Figuring things out as he goes.
– POV: Dual first-person
– Spice: 1-2 open-door spicy scenes
– Tropes: second chance, hidden identity, forced proximity, single father, FMC has a medical condition, he teaches her to swim, they’re both musicians, found family, female friendships
– Triggers: estranged parent(s), life-altering medical condition
– Representation: Hashimoto’s, healthy co-parenting with ex

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↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺ 0:30 ──ㅇ────── 3:47

Now Playing: Something to Talk About by Bonnie Raitt

╰┈➤ ❝People are talkin’, talkin’ ‘bout people…they think we’re lovers, kept under covers❞

─────────────────────────

★○ If You Like the Following, You Might Like This Book ○★

➼ Second chances, not just at romance but at life
➼ Snarky banter and loaded looks
➼ Romance between musical duos, books like Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid and Sounds Like Love by Ashley Poston
➼ Movies like Begin Again, Once, and Jem and the Holograms

─────────────────────────

⍟»This or That«⍟

Character Driven———✧————————Plot Driven
Insta Love/Lust———————✧————Slow Burn
Sweet——————✧—————Spicy
Light/Fluffy————✧———————Heavy/Emotional

─────────────────────────

🎯 My Thoughts:

This is my first book by Emma Lord and I really liked it. The banter between all characters was funny without feeling like it was trying to hard, but it also had tender moments. The thing I love about second-chance is that you don’t get the “insta-love” feel because there’s built-in history. And the tension between these two! Chefs’ kiss.

The Good: The FMC was a pop star that recently had a surgery that changed her voice and she’s now trying to find her place in the music industry again. The journey through this is clever. The MMCs kid is also a cute addition. His mom is a baker and he hates sweets, so there are some very creative concoctions!

The (Maybe) Not So Good: The first 20%-ish felt like it was just one long scene. I also found the resolution of the duet arc confusing and a little frustrating.

Comes out August 12, 2025! Many thanks NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and St. Martin’s Griffin for the eARC! These opinions are my own.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Tropes:
* Rival musicians
* Enemies to lovers
* Single dad
* Second chance romance

Thank you to NetGalley, Emma Lord, and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC! I really enjoyed this sweet, fun second chance romance! Rock star romances are my favorite, and this was definitely did not disappoint!

I really like the dual POV, and this one especially does well as it sets up a lot in the beginning to explain the dynamic between them and their past. I also like how this is organized into parts, which set up each time their romance builds into something more and more.

One moment I felt was really sweet is when Mackenzie meets his son Ben for the first time. It’s so unexpected and she’s so sweet to him, I could imagine his heart eyes when he say how they interacted with each other.

They’re so playful, so easygoing and natural around each other, so that when they begin to physically connect, that intensity just gets better and better. Their kiss in the pool is sweet and teasing, so that their first time together later on is electric because that tension and connection just keeps getting better as the story continues. Each touch, push, and pull is a way for them to remove their past regrets and issues so that they can move forward together.

Their ending is beautiful. He already has proven how selfless of a man he is with his son, but what he does for Mackenzie is going above and beyond for her, always. He puts her success above his own because he knows it’ll help heal her old wounds, and their relationship together. He lights her up so that she can shine! (And that epilogue? It had me in tears of joy 🥹). I’m so grateful to have the chance to read this book!

I also hope we get a Grayson and Hannah love story next 😉

For the Record by Emma Lord is a sweet, fun ride through fame, friendship, and figuring yourself out. With great banter, heart, and a lovable cast, it's perfect for fans of music, romance, and second chances.

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc!

3.5 stars — especially because it reminded me of warped tour and tumblr back in 2014 (although the book does not take place in 2014 but in present day)

this was my first book by emma lord and i had such a blast! there was obviously a lot of nods to singing and i hope that the audio has a narrator that will sing similar to authors like kennedy ryan!

overall this was a fun romp of life after a pop punk girl/boy group and trying to get back into the music scene!

📚 For the Record
✍ Emma Lord
📖 Contemporary Romance
⭐4/5
🌶️ 🌶️
📆 Out 8/12/2025!
➡ Once the most heated will they or won't they celebrity fodder on the market and members of rival bands, Mackenzie and Sam haven't been in touch since their bands simultaneously split up two years ago. Now living completely different lives, they're forced to form a duet if they want any shot at a new record deal. Can they put their differences aside and write their feelings into the album of a lifetime or will the music of their hearts write its own tune?

🙏 Thank you to St. Martin's Press, NetGalley and the author for an advanced digital copy of For the Record. All opinions are my own.
◾
🎯 What I loved: I really liked Sam and Mackenzie's growth as characters. They were both really likeable, hard-working goal oriented individuals who had multiple right person/wrong time and wrong person/right time situations before reconnecting but it was clear that the relationships they had had that didn't last had led to their growth as individuals. I loved the side characters in this one and felt like all of the smaller storylines fit in well with the overarching romance. The writing in this was great and transported me to some of my favorite concert experiences-- definitely a great read for music lovers! And the author's note is a must-read!! It was so cool to see that the plot was semi-autobiographical and had been driven by Emma Lord's experience writing songs in Nashville.

🙅‍♀️ What I didn't: This book took place in the present but had a lot of references to things that had happened in the past. So much of the relationship between Sam and Mackenzie was based on them pushing through what they felt for each other while touring years before the book actually took place and I think having flashbacks or more memories interspersed in the story would have helped invest readers more in their relationship. Because we didn't get as much of the tension, I didn't have as big of a 'finally' moment when they connected as I could have. I also think there was a missed opportunity to juxtapose the significant locations that they returned to to write each of their songs with the initial memories versus just light references to why they went to each spot.
◾
Read if you love:
*enemies to lovers
*second chance romance-ish
*song writers & singers
*music rights drama
◾
See also: Till There Was You, Friends Don't Fall in Love, The Love Rematch

For fans of Clare Gilmore’s Never Over or Lindsay Hameroff’s Till There Was You, a classic trope-y romance with a little more depth. It explored not only romantic love but also female friendships and familial relationships.

Two former famous musicians decide to form a duet to revive their music careers. Except they have a torrid past with unresolved conflict. The tension and slow burn between Mack and Sam was exceptional. Though this wasn’t a dual timeline story, I felt like I understood past Mack and Sam and their motivations. I adored seeing them fall in love as much wiser versions of themselves.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

One of the reasons I love ARC reading is its ability to push me a bit out of my comfort zone. I've never read a rockstar romance that I particularly loved, but Mack and Sam (Sam and Mack) changed that. After their respective bands broke up after touring together, they've each been on their own for a while. No one quite forgot about their on stage chemistry, though, including Sam himself. Mackenzie was truly "the one that got away" to him, and what better way to rekindle their friendship (rivalry) than to agree to do an album together? Lines are crossed, pacts are made (and broken). Will they/won't they, the chemistry, the spice. A secret almost no one knows will nearly tear them apart.

I loved the chemistry between Sam and Mack. I could tell from the beginning how deep Sam's feelings for her actually went, and why he left in the first place. I loved hearing about Ben, his pieces in the story were pure sunshine-y goodness. The secret portion gave it a bit of that "mystery" feel too. It hooked me from the first page!

I highly recommend you read this one when it publishes in August!

4/5 stars

This was an easy, quick, and very cute read! Exactly what I’ve come to expect from this author! I didn’t quite connect with the characters and the story generally felt a little surface level, but that’s part of what made it a breeze to read through. I could see this being a super cute Netflix movie, that’s the vibe it gave!

fun romcom with some interesting vibes and fun character building. the insta love is definitely there but also feels pretty realistic. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

If Daisy Jones & The Six were reimagined as a sharp, heart-fluttering romance, it might look a lot like Emma Lord’s For the Record. Set against the electric backdrop of the music industry, this novel blends the backstage drama of creative collaboration with the fizzy charm of a second-chance rom-com.

At its center is Mackenzie—a whirlwind of chaotic energy and unshakable determination—who’s re-entering the high-stakes world of band life, all while dealing with the unresolved tension of an old flame. There are laugh-out-loud moments and deeper emotional beats, as secrets unravel and Mackenzie and Sam are forced to confront what’s holding them back. It’s a story about growing up, owning your voice, and learning that sometimes the changes we fear most are the ones that push us toward who we’re meant to be.

3.5 rounded up, thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

It took me a very long time to get through this. Very unlike me! It was so slow going - at one point, I thought I was near the end and I wasn't even halfway. I liked the characters but didn't particularly care what happened to them. The story didn't quite have that "romantic" feel. A couple of the side characters felt completely useless to the story. I did enjoy the epilogue, though. Would I recommend it? Eh, probably not.

This book was fun! The banter and tension were the best part! I thought the relationship between the characters was fun and kept me turning the pages. I loved Ben’s character and thought he added a nice element to the story.

This would be such a good Netflix series!! I really really enjoyed it. It was like… cheetah girls but grown up lol. I just loved it.